Page 112 of 2204 Hunter Lane
Ibooked a reservation for five at Berandino’s, pacing around my kitchen, waiting for my brother’s arrival one week later.
When I offered to pick them up at the airport, they declined and said they’d much rather rent a car since it was my birthday and didn’t want to bother me. It was definitely Adam who made that call, but I wasn’t really complaining since the closest airport was a few hours away.
Originally, I thought of inviting Winter and Cramer, but my brother managed to get four days off so I knew they’d have plenty of time to meet.
For my birthday, I just wanted something small – Hunter, Michelle, Adam, myself, and baby Rosy.Ah!!My niece, my baby niece was coming and I couldn’t even contain my excitement.
I pulled out my phone for the thirtieth time in ten minutes and crafted a text:
4:09pm – Marley: Michelle, please tell me you’re pulling into The Atlas now?
4:15pm – Michelle: Just got here. Are you sure we can park in your spot?
4:16pm – Marley: Yes! Hunter said I could leave my car at his place since he knew you guys were coming.
4:19pm – Michelle: Perf. Just getting out our bags. Floor two, room seven, right?
I replied with an excitableyes!and did one final sweep of my tiny place that would definitely be too snug for three adults and a baby. They knew it too, so they booked a room ahead of time in the same residency.
Hunter offered for me to stay at his for the duration of my brother’s visit, but I liked my alone time even though I was with him often enough.
I’d always been that way, though. With Todd, there were numerous nights that I preferred the couch over sleeping next to someone. Of course, our relationship paled in comparison to mine and Hunter’s, but the habit remained intact.
The best thing about Hunter was that he and I shared the same outlook on relationships; being with someone every second of every day doesn’t give you time to figure your own self out. And today wasn’t an exception to that rule.
Hunter had to run some stock out of town this morning, so he sent a bouquet of orange tulips to my door with a card that wrote:
Happy birthday my baby fuckin’ dear. Little Bambi ain’t so little no more. Red roses will always be a cliché, so I got you orange flowers to match that book you liked three months ago. If you want, we can re-enact our first date tonight?
Always,
Hunter
How did I get so lucky? Seriously? How? Every second I spent with Hunter over the past few months was a dream I never wanted to wake up from.
Never did I ever think someone sweet, someone so kind-hearted was underneath all the rough and gruff, but he was there, and he just needed someone to bring it out of him.
A knock sounded at my door and I just about twisted my ankle running to unlock it. When I did, a group of two people, two people who I hadn’t seen in over a year and a half stood holding a baby carrier with my baby niece cooing inside.
Tears sprung out of my eyes as I pulled them both into a hug, trying with all my might to control the waterworks but there was absolutely no way.
“Geez, Mar. You look so different.” Adam’s levelled laugh chimed in my ears as I hurried them inside, closing the door behind us.
“I could say the same about you.”
And boy did that ever ring true.
Facetime will never be the same as seeing someone in real life. I mean, I knew what my brother looked like, obviously I did. But seeing him, all 5’11 of him with his dark brown hair and stern jaw, the scar over his eyebrow that he got playing beer pong and ran into a cupboard… God, I missed him. I missed him so freaking much.
“It’s so good to see you,” I released, rubbing the tears off my face. “Both of you,” I turned to Michelle, “and can I please say hi to little Rosy...”
As soon as she nodded a yes, I booked it straight to the baby carrier and dropped to my knees, scanning the features of the most precious little girl I had ever seen.
“She has your eyes, Adam.” I whispered, placing my pointer over her tiny little baby bib.Oh my God, I’m going to literally explode.
Her soft fingers wrapped around mine as she chortled out a giggle, squirming around beneath a plush purple blanket.
“Hi Rosy,” I smiled, “I’m Marley, I’m your auntie. You’re so cute!” I turned to Michelle, mouthing, “she’s freaking adorable,” before returning to the baby.
